Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek

Our 14-day journey begins from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Here, you will be warmly received at the airport. Then, you will stay at the hotel of your choice as we prepare all the necessary paperwork and items you will require for the trek. Walk around the lively spirit of Thamel during the evening to refresh yourself from the tiring flight.

Starting today, we begin our trek by taking a short 45-minute flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur. Upon reaching, we take a 3-4 hour drive to reach Illam, famous for its enchanting tea gardens. We conclude our day’s journey in Illam. You can stroll around the infamous tea gardens taking in beautiful scenery and observe tea leaves harvesting.

In the early morning, we continue our journey to drive from Illam to Taplejung. We will take the bumpy, unpaved road with beautiful scenery of the tea plantations with the mountain ranges in the background.

Later, after reaching the small town of Phidim the road gets steeper and we pass through lush forest with striking landscapes to reach Taplejung.

Finally, after days of driving, we can start our hiking. Today, we start our hike by trekking to Lali Kharka from Taplejung.

Although the trail can be slippery or muddy at times, the trail used is well-populated by the locals. The trail crosses streams of river, and rhododendron forests as we reach Lali Kharka inhabited by mostly Limbu people.

Continuing our journey, we leave the Limbu village walking a trail moderately difficult and mostly downhill. Our day will comprise of walking downhill alongside the magnificent view of the Kanchenjunga mountain ranges.

We will walk through trails passing by cultivated farmland and the Limbu village to reach Khesewa in around 5 hours.

Today is the most challenging day of our trek. Firstly, the trail contains many steep, narrow sections, and winding sections.

Later, you will be rewarded with pristine views of the mountain peaks as the views get clearer and closer. Your trail in spring will be blooming with rhododendron forests.

After resting overnight in Pumphe Dada, we continue our trek by walking uphill on an easy trail alongside Kabeli Khola. Additionally, there are beautiful ridges as we descend under rocky cliffs. Later, we reach a small suspension bridge and pass a few settlements to reach Yamphudin. We spend our night at Yamphudin concluding our 5-hour hike.

Today, we reach Tortong by walking over 8 hours uphill. Indeed, our journey for today may look relentless, but we will be rewarded with the beauties of nature we will pass along the way. Our journey takes us to Amje Khola. Later, we reach Chitre where we can witness the grazing yaks and the local inhabitants in their daily life.

We pass through scenic forests reaching Lassiya Bhanjyang Pass (3840m) along the way. Our trek today will get your adrenaline rushing.

Later, after passing a suspension bridge we head on an uphill trail to reach Tortong. We will be spending our night in Tortong where we will relieve our fatigue in the invigorating, chilly atmosphere.

We continue our trek by reaching Cheram at 3870m. Today, we climb for 3-4 hours alongside Simbuwa Khola.

Moreover, our journey will be accompanied by the magnificent views of Tupling Peak and the lush, pristine rhododendron forests. Upon reaching Cheram, we can choose to hike for a couple more hours to hike up to a tranquil lake.

One of the highlights of the day is the Yalung Glacier. It is settled amongst the Himalayan peaks with captivating pristine ice formations. Its majestic presence alongside the serene tranquility of the mountain peaks is a sight to behold. It is enough to revitalize you of any fatigue you have faced on your journey.

Finally, today we reached the Kanchenjunga South Base camp. We reach Ramche a popular stopping point for trekkers about an hour away from the south base camp. We will follow the trail through Yalung Glacier to reach a viewpoint with promising views of Mt Kabru and Mt Rathong.

Our ascend to the top has come to an end. Starting today, we begin our descent along the same trail we have come up. Also, our journey back gets much easier and we will be rewarded with the opportunity to relive the magnificent trail which accompanied us in the ascent. We make our way back to Torongding in around 6 hours of trek time.

Today, we follow an ancient trail used by the local Indian generation to trade with Tibet to reach Ranipul. We begin our final day of hiking by taking a trail to Ranipul walking past quiet forests parting ways with the incredible mountain peaks. We walk mostly downhill skipping Yamphudin after hiking for around 7 hours.

Our journey is coming to an end. We take a scenic drive to Bhadrapur till we reach Taplejung where we will stop for a moment to refresh ourselves. Then, continuing our drive we reach Bhadrapur after 10 hours of driving. We will call it a day at Bhadrapur preparing ourselves for tomorrow’s flight.

Today, we fly back to Kathmandu from Bhadrapur concluding our trek. We conclude our 14-day-long journey walking alongside beautiful trails filled with lush rhododendron forests, serene views of the mountain landscapes, and the gorgeous view of the Yalung glacier. We part with the unforgettable memories of the incredible journey we have been part of.